Lindsey Van

Women's Ski Jumping USA: Talks at GS Session Highlights

Deedee Corradini, Lindsey Van, Sarah Hendrickson

Led by former Salt Lake City Mayor DeeDee O'Donnell and athlete Lindsay Vann, a global coalition fought a two-year campaign against the International Ski Federation and legal hurdles to prove that women's ski jumping met Olympic eligibility standards. Although the 2010 Canadian lawsuit challenging the exclusion under the Charter of Rights failed to secure jurisdiction over the IOC, the litigation catalyzed international support that forced the committee to admit female skiers to the 2014 Sochi Games. This historic victory allowed Lindsey Vann and Sarah Hansen to become the first women to compete in the event, finally dismantling decades of male-dominated barriers within the sport.